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Our view: Just a reminder

Published 7:00 pm, Monday, November 1, 2004

As Central Michigan University begins to develop its 2005-06 budget, we believe it's time to once again remind the state Legislature and Gov. Jennifer Granholm of what is wrong with the state's system of financing education in Michigan.

Next month, CMU, as well as the 14 other state universities and 583 K-12 school districts, will begin preparing their spending plans with blinders on.

We say that because none of the entities will know, even in ballpark figures, how much aid is going to be coming from the state. And they won't know even after they are asked to submit a final budget to the state.

The problem is systemic. State legislators and the governor will not make a decision on the state budget until close to the end of this fiscal year - in September.

Schools, on the other hand, operate on a July 1-June 30 fiscal year. Clearly, this is a problem for all the administrations, but it is an even bigger problem for the universities, which have to let students and parents know what they will be paying for tuition the following year.

We urge those in Lansing to take a look at how schools are financed. Our school administrators deserve at least that much help.